2 Episodes (1951)
Special agent Dick Barton appeared in 711 episodes between 1946 and 1951 on the Light Program beginning at 6.45 pm on Monday, 7 October 1946. With his two best mates by his side, Jock Anderson and Snowey White, and a slew of crime-busting gadgets that would make Dick Tracy envious, Dick managed to get into (and eventually out of) some pretty tight spots, much to the delight of thousands, not to mention the stern disapproval of various "educationalists and clergymen." And all that disapproval despite the scriptwriters strict adherence to 13 codes of conduct, such as: no sex, no booze, no bad language and all violence must be limited to "clean socks on the jaw." Nevertheless, the radio show was a huge success, and the former Captain Richard Barton of the Commandos became a national hero, right up there with Churchill. In post-war Britain, the fast-paced, tongue-in-cheek adventures were exactly what the doctor ordered. At his peak, over 15 million listeners tuned in to his adventures, broadcast in the early evening, right after the news. Dick's Girlfriend (all too soon to be written out of the series for ever!) was Jean Hunter, played by Lorna Dermott, and the current villain, Manoel Garcia, was played by Brian Worth. The announcer who rapped out 'Dick Barton...Special Agent!' was Hamilton Humphries. Although Geoffrey Webb and Edward J. Mason wrote the radio scripts, Barton was actually created by BBC producer Norman Collins, who had visions of a "cloak and dagger soap opera" every evening.The producer was Neil Tuson. The first series ended on 30 May 1947, but Dick was back on 6 October in a new serial. The third, 'The JB Case', started 20 September 1948.
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